diff --git a/src/mod_cgi.c b/src/mod_cgi.c
index 2a50fd35..47196c94 100644
--- a/src/mod_cgi.c
+++ b/src/mod_cgi.c
@@ -426,7 +426,6 @@ static int cgi_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 		if (-1 == (n = read(hctx->fd, hctx->response->ptr, hctx->response->size - 1))) {
 			if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR) {
 				/* would block, wait for signal */
-				fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 				return FDEVENT_HANDLED_NOT_FINISHED;
 			}
 			/* error */
@@ -1486,9 +1485,10 @@ SUBREQUEST_FUNC(mod_cgi_handle_subrequest) {
 		if (chunkqueue_length(con->write_queue) > 65536 - 4096) {
 			fdevent_event_clr(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		} else if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) {
-			/* optimistic read from backend, which might re-enable FDEVENT_IN */
+			/* optimistic read from backend */
 			handler_t rc = cgi_recv_response(srv, hctx); /*(might invalidate hctx)*/
 			if (rc != HANDLER_GO_ON) return rc;          /*(unless HANDLER_GO_ON)*/
+			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mod_fastcgi.c b/src/mod_fastcgi.c
index cd843389..b52d4930 100644
--- a/src/mod_fastcgi.c
+++ b/src/mod_fastcgi.c
@@ -2409,7 +2409,6 @@ static int fcgi_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
       #if !defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
 	if (ioctl(hctx->fd, FIONREAD, &toread)) {
 		if (errno == EAGAIN) {
-			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 			return 0;
 		}
 		log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sd",
@@ -2442,7 +2441,6 @@ static int fcgi_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 
 		if (-1 == r) {
 			if (errno == EAGAIN) {
-				fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 				return 0;
 			}
 			log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sds",
@@ -2452,6 +2450,7 @@ static int fcgi_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 		}
 	}
 	if (0 == r) {
+		if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) return 0;
 		log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "ssdsb",
 				"unexpected end-of-file (perhaps the fastcgi process died):",
 				"pid:", proc->pid,
@@ -2966,9 +2965,10 @@ SUBREQUEST_FUNC(mod_fastcgi_handle_subrequest) {
 		if (chunkqueue_length(con->write_queue) > 65536 - 4096) {
 			fdevent_event_clr(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		} else if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) {
-			/* optimistic read from backend, which might re-enable FDEVENT_IN */
+			/* optimistic read from backend */
 			handler_t rc = fcgi_recv_response(srv, hctx); /*(might invalidate hctx)*/
 			if (rc != HANDLER_GO_ON) return rc;           /*(unless HANDLER_GO_ON)*/
+			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mod_proxy.c b/src/mod_proxy.c
index 85279dfb..241d24ea 100644
--- a/src/mod_proxy.c
+++ b/src/mod_proxy.c
@@ -839,7 +839,6 @@ static int proxy_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
       #if !defined(_WIN32) && !defined(__CYGWIN__)
 	if (ioctl(hctx->fd, FIONREAD, &b)) {
 		if (errno == EAGAIN) {
-			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 			return 0;
 		}
 		log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sd",
@@ -878,7 +877,6 @@ static int proxy_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 
 		if (-1 == (r = read(hctx->fd, hctx->response->ptr + buffer_string_length(hctx->response), buffer_string_space(hctx->response)))) {
 			if (errno == EAGAIN) {
-				fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 				return 0;
 			}
 			log_error_write(srv, __FILE__, __LINE__, "sds",
@@ -951,6 +949,7 @@ static int proxy_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 			buffer_reset(hctx->response);
 		}
 	} else {
+		if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) return 0;
 		/* reading from upstream done */
 		fin = 1;
 	}
@@ -1179,9 +1178,10 @@ SUBREQUEST_FUNC(mod_proxy_handle_subrequest) {
 		if (chunkqueue_length(con->write_queue) > 65536 - 4096) {
 			fdevent_event_clr(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		} else if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) {
-			/* optimistic read from backend, which might re-enable FDEVENT_IN */
+			/* optimistic read from backend */
 			handler_t rc = proxy_recv_response(srv, hctx); /*(might invalidate hctx)*/
 			if (rc != HANDLER_GO_ON) return rc;            /*(unless HANDLER_GO_ON)*/
+			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/src/mod_scgi.c b/src/mod_scgi.c
index ef6ab98a..5da4f556 100644
--- a/src/mod_scgi.c
+++ b/src/mod_scgi.c
@@ -1814,7 +1814,6 @@ static int scgi_demux_response(server *srv, handler_ctx *hctx) {
 		if (-1 == (n = read(hctx->fd, hctx->response->ptr, hctx->response->size - 1))) {
 			if (errno == EAGAIN || errno == EINTR) {
 				/* would block, wait for signal */
-				fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 				return 0;
 			}
 			/* error */
@@ -2430,9 +2429,10 @@ SUBREQUEST_FUNC(mod_scgi_handle_subrequest) {
 		if (chunkqueue_length(con->write_queue) > 65536 - 4096) {
 			fdevent_event_clr(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		} else if (!(fdevent_event_get_interest(srv->ev, hctx->fd) & FDEVENT_IN)) {
-			/* optimistic read from backend, which might re-enable FDEVENT_IN */
+			/* optimistic read from backend */
 			handler_t rc = scgi_recv_response(srv, hctx); /*(might invalidate hctx)*/
 			if (rc != HANDLER_GO_ON) return rc;           /*(unless HANDLER_GO_ON)*/
+			fdevent_event_add(srv->ev, &(hctx->fde_ndx), hctx->fd, FDEVENT_IN);
 		}
 	}